We will therefore now consider sins of commission and sins of omission.
2. We commit sins of the first sort, that is, we are guilty of sins of commission, when we do anything, when we adopt any course of conduct, knowing it to be forbidden by God. It seems hardly necessary to say much about such sins, as they are obvious to all. It is perhaps only necessary to say that we are guilty of sins of commission, when we transgress any of the Commandments of God in the spirit, as well as in the letter. Our Lord shews us that the Commandments are expanded under the Gospel to include much more than appears on the surface. Consequently any little act of unkindness, any trifling with sensuality, any over-indulgence in eating or drinking, any disrespectful treatment of those who are in authority, are sins of commission, though they are not against the written words of the law. It is therefore right for us to consider what is implied by the written law, and to measure our conduct and weigh our acts by the spirit of charity, by first principles of justice, and then it will be found that we have allowed ourselves many things which are contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” (Rom. xiv. 22.)
3. We use much less circumspection about sins of omission. It is therefore advisable to consider them more carefully.
We sin by omission when we omit to do those things which
(a) We are commanded by the Law of God.
(b) Our Consciences advise.
(c) We are commanded to do by those set in authority over us.
(d) We are required to do by the State, or social law.
(a) Now it must never be forgotten that our duties as Christians are not merely negative, to abstain from this and not to do that, but are positive, to advance the Kingdom of God, and work out our own salvation. Our Lord, in the parable of the unprofitable servant who hid his treasure, shews us this. We must try to discover what active work in His Kingdom He has ordained for us to accomplish, and then do it with all our might. No man has any right to live in idleness. He must do something either for God, or for his fellow men.
(b) We must obey the promptings of our Conscience. If Conscience urges, and we neglect to obey it, we are neglecting the voice of God.